Through the first few weeks of the season, my goal was simple: learn as much as possible about as many arms as possible.
That’s why you saw this list stretch out to 40+ pitchers early on. Non-conference play is fluid—guys are getting innings, coaches are experimenting, and rotations aren’t always locked in. It’s an opportunity to evaluate depth, identify emerging roles, and understand how staffs are being built—not just for now, but for later in the season and even into next year with how the transfer portal and NIL continue to shape rosters.
Now, two weeks into SEC play, things start to tighten up.
Roles become clearer. Friday night guys separate themselves. And you get a much better feel for which arms are actually built to handle this level week in and week out.
So moving forward, we’re narrowing this down to a Top 30 Starting Pitcher Power Rankings.
Outside of that, we’ll still track the rest of the league through:
Notable Mentions
Emerging Arms
Injury Report
At the same time, another piece of this is starting to come into focus—the bullpens.
Some of the best arms in the SEC right now are not starting games. They’re pitching in the highest leverage spots, and in some cases, they’re the guys who will move the fastest at the next level.
As we continue to gather more information, we’ll begin breaking down bullpen usage and eventually move toward bullpen rankings and full staff evaluations.
Because at this level, it’s not just about who starts the game—it’s about how you finish it.
Top 30 SEC Starting Pitcher Power Rankings
1. Jake Marciano — Auburn (Ranking: unchanged)
Season: 1.00 ERA, 0.56 WHIP — 3-0, 51K / 4BB (36 IP)
Past week: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 K
Marciano continues his spectacular transition into the SEC from Virginia Tech. He pitched seven innings of one-run ball with just two hits and nine strikeouts against Texas this weekend.
The Marciano kid continues to prove that knowing how to pitch and get outs is one of the most valuable things in baseball. He’s not overpowering—88 to 91 with a good slider and a changeup—but he commands the baseball, works to certain portions of the zone, and can dominate right-handed hitters as a left-handed pitcher. He has been extremely dominant so far in the SEC, and that’s why he stays at number one.
2. Ruger Riojas — Texas (Ranking: unchanged)
Season: 1.93 ERA, 0.83 WHIP — 4-0, 56K / 5BB (32.2 IP)
Past week: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Riojas had another great outing against a very good Auburn team. He continues to show a dominant multi-pitch mix with five or six different looks, tunneling everything and manipulating shapes.
He looks like a true Friday night starter for one of the best teams in the country. The ability to mix, match, and sequence at that level makes him extremely difficult to game plan for.
3. Tomas Valincius — Mississippi State (↑ from No. 4)
Season: 1.04 ERA, 0.87 WHIP — 5-0, 47K / 9BB (34.2 IP)
Past week: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 14 K
Valincius continues to look electric. Fourteen strikeouts against a good Vanderbilt offense speaks for itself.
He’s a power lefty with a mid-90s fastball who really knows how to pitch. Brian O’Connor has transitioned him really well into the SEC, and with McPherson’s injury, it looks like he could slide into that Friday night role without Mississippi State missing a beat.
4. LJ Mercurius — Oklahoma (↑ from No. 7)
Season: 1.87 ERA, 0.86 WHIP — 5-1, 48K / 10BB (33.2 IP)
Past week: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Mercurius had a really nice outing at LSU and continues to show why he’s one of the more composed arms in the conference.
Even when the velocity isn’t at its peak, the mound presence stands out. He repeats his delivery, shapes his pitches well, and commands the zone. It never looked like the moment was too big for him at Alex Box, and that ability to stay under control is what really jumps out.
5. Tyler Fay — Alabama (↑ from No. 33)
Season: 4.06 ERA, 0.88 WHIP — 4-2, 47K / 8BB (37.2 IP)
Past week: 9.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 13 K (No-Hitter)
Fay had one of the most historic performances in Alabama baseball history with a nine-inning no-hitter against Florida.
He continues to fill up the zone, get swings and misses, and comes at hitters with a steep angle from a tall frame. Sitting low to mid-90s, he showed his ceiling this weekend against a really talented Florida lineup, and that performance pushes him into the top five.
6. Jaxon Jelkin — Kentucky (↑ from No. 12)
Season: 2.94 ERA, 0.98 WHIP — 5-0, 37K / 8BB (33.2 IP)
Past week: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Jelkin had a strong bounce-back performance at Ole Miss in a tough environment, giving his team a chance to win the series.
He continues to look like a major leaguer. With his size, stuff, and ability to pitch, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be in first-round conversations. He looks like a guy who could move quickly through pro ball.
7. Dylan Volantis — Texas (↑ from No. 5)
Season: 1.35 ERA, 1.02 WHIP — 3-0, 44K / 12BB (33.1 IP)
Past week: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
Volantis continues to do what he does—compete and give his team a chance to win.
Even with some command issues this weekend, he still put Texas in position to take a series against a top-five team. He looks like the same guy who dominated as a reliever last year, now successfully transitioning into a starter role.
8. Casan Evans — LSU (↑ from No. 35)
Season: 4.80 ERA, 1.17 WHIP — 2-0, 50K / 13BB (30 IP)
Past week: 7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 15 K
Evans had a masterful performance against a top-10 Oklahoma team, striking out 15 and going deep into the game.
Earlier in the year, he was a victim of some bad luck—his underlying metrics like FIP suggested he was throwing better than his ERA showed. This weekend, everything lined up. He got ahead of hitters, put them away early, and was able to work deep into the game. That was a huge outing for him and a big statement as LSU’s Friday night guy.
9. Hunter Elliott — Ole Miss (↑ from No. 19)
Season: 3.48 ERA, 1.32 WHIP — 3-0, 44K / 20BB (31 IP)
Past week: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Elliott had a nice bounce-back start in an important Thursday night game against Kentucky. He did everything you would expect from an experienced Friday night guy.
This is one of the most established starters in the SEC from an innings and big-game standpoint. Early in the year, I was concerned with the command issues and the way Cade Townsend was throwing, but Elliott answered that this weekend. Only two walks against a very mature Kentucky lineup that likes to be patient is a huge confidence piece for me going forward, and for Ole Miss as well.
10. Liam Peterson — Florida (↓ from No. 3)
Season: 4.15 ERA, 1.22 WHIP — 1-1, 48K / 16BB (30.1 IP)
Past week: 3.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Peterson struggled this weekend, and when he struggles, it usually comes down to command.
He was on a really nice three-to-four week stretch, but when he loses command, he’s forced into certain counts and has to throw certain pitches, and SEC lineups like Alabama will take advantage of that. That said, this is still probably the most electric arm in the SEC from a pure stuff standpoint with four-plus pitches and elite upside as a major league starter, so I still have him in the top 10.
11. William Schmidt — LSU (↓ from No. 9)
Season: 3.00 ERA, 1.07 WHIP — 3-1, 46K / 9BB (30 IP)
Past week: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Schmidt stays here because of the upside. This is a guy who has all the makings of a number one starter profile at the major league level.
This weekend, the pitch count got a little high, which tells you he was falling behind hitters or not putting them away efficiently. That’s the next step in his development—getting ahead and finishing hitters in three or four pitches like Kacen did. But the talent and profile are still elite.
12. Colin Fisher — Arkansas (↓ from No. 11)
Season: 2.70 ERA — 2-2, 38K / 7BB (30 IP)
Past week: —
Fisher continues to be a staple for a very good Arkansas team and just keeps putting together a strong body of work.
13. Gabe Gaeckle — Arkansas (↓ from No. 14)
Season: 2.87 ERA — 3-1, 38K / 11BB (31.1 IP)
Past week: —
Gaeckle did everything to put his team in position to win against South Carolina.
The one thing that stands out to me is the hits—34 hits in 31 innings is a little alarming for a guy with his level of stuff. But he still profiles as a first-round type arm and continues to anchor that rotation for a top Arkansas team.
14. Tegan Kuhns — Tennessee (↑ from No. 17)
Season: 4.35 ERA, 1.10 WHIP — 40K / 5BB (31 IP)
Past week: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Kuhns took the loss against Missouri, but I’m not holding that against him.
Missouri is a much improved team, and Tennessee still won the series. Even with giving up some hits this year, he continues to look like an elite starter and a very good professional pitching prospect. The delivery and the way his body moves through space reminds me a lot of Jacob deGrom, and the command—five walks to 40 strikeouts—is elite.
15. Luke Harrison — Texas (↑ from No. 22)
Season: 2.37 ERA, 1.25 WHIP — 2-0, 31K / 12BB (30.1 IP)
Past week: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Harrison had another nice outing against a top-five team and continues to build a strong body of work.
He looks like a really solid number two starter for one of the best teams in the country and continues to give Texas a chance to win every weekend.
16. Aidan King — Florida (↓ from No. 10)
Season: 1.27 ERA, 1.02 WHIP — 3-2, 30K / 7BB (28.1 IP)
Past week: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 4 K
King gave up his first earned runs of the year this weekend.
He’s still been really effective overall, but this was a tougher outing against Alabama. Still a very solid number two behind Peterson.
17. Shane Sdao — Texas A&M (↓ from No. 21)
Season: 4.15 ERA — 3-1, 38K / 4BB (34.1 IP)
Past week: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 11 K
Sdao had a tough outing against a very good Georgia offense, but still showed what makes him valuable.
He throws strikes, limits walks, and gives his team innings. With Texas A&M’s offense, that’s exactly what they need out of a Friday night starter.
18. Dylan Vigue — Georgia (Ranking: unchanged)
Season: 2.30 ERA, 0.95 WHIP — 34K / 9BB (27.1 IP)
Past week: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Vigue continues to do his job as Georgia’s Saturday starter.
He fills up the zone, throws strikes, and competes against really good offenses. As a transfer from Michigan, he looks like he’s handling the SEC just fine.
19. Jackson Sanders — Auburn (↓ from No. 8)
Season: 3.66 ERA, 1.03 WHIP — 45K / 8BB (32 IP)
Past week: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 4 K
Sanders falls a bit after getting beat up by a really good Texas team. We can’t hold it against him too much because I think we’re going to look back on that lineup and talk about five or six big leaguers in it.
Even with the outing, the season numbers are still really strong, and he has that funky Madison Bumgarner-type delivery that makes him tough on hitters. He’s still a really good arm for Auburn.
20. Javyn Pimentel — Missouri (Ranking: unchanged)
Season: 3.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP — 2-0, 25K / 13BB (27.2 IP)
Past week: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Pimentel continues to give Mizzou a chance on Friday nights by throwing strikes and keeping them in games.
We’ve talked about Mizzou being much improved, and he’s a big reason why. He’s going to need to miss a few more bats, but he competes and fills up the zone.
21. Alec Petrovic — Auburn (↓ from No. 15)
Season: 2.97 ERA, 1.03 WHIP — 4-0, 35K / 7BB (30.1 IP)
Past week: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Petrovic got hit around a bit by Texas and falls a little because of it.
Still, on the year he’s been really solid, and as a Sunday guy for Auburn, he’s going to win a lot of games for them. Health and consistency will be key as the season goes on.
22. Evan Blanco — Tennessee (↑ from No. 30)
Season: 2.73 ERA, 1.03 WHIP — 44K / 15BB (33 IP)
Past week: 7.2 IP, 5 K
Blanco had a really nice outing this weekend, going a career-high 7.2 innings in a Sunday rubber match.
He does struggle with command at times, but he continues to give Tennessee a solid Sunday option and has been trending up.
23. Zane Adams — Alabama (↑ from No. 36)
Season: 4.11 ERA, 1.21 WHIP — 4-1, 33K / 6BB (30.2 IP)
Past week: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Adams had a nice outing in Alabama’s sweep of Florida.
He’s an experienced arm who throws strikes and pitches to contact, which helps get quick outs. He’s a solid Saturday option for Alabama.
24. Duke Stone — Mississippi State (↓ from No. 23)
Season: 4.10 ERA, 0.99 WHIP — 4-0, 37K / 5BB (26.1 IP)
Past week: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 4 K
Stone gave up some runs this weekend, but still continues to show what makes him valuable.
He’s a big-bodied guy who commands the zone well with a three plus pitch arsenal. With McPherson out, it looks like he may move into a bigger role, and I think Mississippi State will be just fine with him and Valincius at the top.
25. Hunter Dietz — Arkansas (↑ from No. 26)
Season: 3.86 ERA — 2-2, 54K / 10BB (30.1 IP)
Past week: —
Dietz is continuing to strike out the world.
For a top Arkansas team, he’s been a big piece, and that 54-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio jumps off the page.
26. Joey Volchko — Georgia (↓ from No. 13)
Season: 4.23 ERA, 1.37 WHIP — 33K / 14BB (27.2 IP)
Past week: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
Volchko drops for me after another outing where command was an issue.
I’ve talked about this before—on Friday nights, you have to fill up the zone. His stuff is good enough, but the walks are holding him back, especially for a team that scores as much as Georgia does.
27. Landon Mack — Tennessee (Ranking: unchanged)
Season: 3.38 ERA, 1.50 WHIP — 39K / 16BB (32 IP)
Past week: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Mack’s stuff is all there, but the command continues to be an issue.
He needs to throw more strikes and get deeper into games if he wants to stay in that Saturday role, but the arm talent is real.
28. Cam Johnson — Oklahoma (↓ from No. 16)
Season: 3.60 ERA, 1.48 WHIP — 3-1, 36K / 18BB (25 IP)
Past week: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 5 R (2 ER), 6 BB, 2 K
This one is tough because the stuff is still there.
He’s had two really rough outings in a row, and it feels like it’s more mental than mechanical right now. The delivery looks the same, the stuff looks the same, but he doesn’t seem to trust certain pitches and keeps falling behind hitters. Hopefully he finds it, because the upside is still tremendous.
29. Josh Gunther — South Carolina (↓ from No. 20)
Season: 6.33 ERA, 1.37 WHIP — 2-1, 36K / 10BB (27 IP)
Past week: —
Gunther falls after getting hit hard by Arkansas.
The stuff is still there, and he’s probably still their Friday guy, but that outing inflated the numbers quite a bit.
30. Amp Phillips — South Carolina (↑ from No. 39)
Season: 2.32 ERA, 1.13 WHIP — 2-2, 29K / 14BB (31 IP)
Past week: —
Phillips had another nice outing and continues to give South Carolina a solid option after transferring from USC Upstate.
He’s putting them in position to win games and looks like a good number two starter for them with some real upside.
Notable Mentions
Cord Rager — Oklahoma: stood strong at LSU’s Alex Box in a rubber game and put them in a position to come back and take the series. Really fun true freshman getting consistent starts on the weekend.
Aidan Sims — Texas A&M: had a nice outing in A&M’s only win against the elite Georgia offense, and I think he is A&M’s Saturday guy honestly.
Hunter Calhoun — Ole Miss: new starter who filled in for Cade Townsend. Putting up good numbers so far this season in a mix of bullpen outings and three starts.
Missouri: Josh McDevitt and Brady Kehlenbrink continue to give Mizzou solid weekend starters, and are a big reason I feel like Missouri will win more games this year. McDevitt is 3-1 with a 3.19 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. He doesn’t give up to many hits (16 in 31 IP) but walks may be an issue, although the 40 Ks helps. Kehlenbrink continues to strike batters out and boasts a 47:7 K:BB ration on Sunday’s.
Mid week starters: Taylor Tracey (Tennessee) and Andreas Alvarez (Auburn) are putting up some very solid numbers behind the weekend scenes, while mid-week true-freshman, Sam Cozart has graduated from his mid-week dominance to some high-leverage situations for Texas on the weekend.
Kenny Ishikawa — Georgia (struggling post-injury)
Nate Harris — Kentucky (rough outing)
Wyatt Nadeau — Vanderbilt (command issues)
Connor Fennell — Vanderbilt (hard contact issues)
Miles Upchurch — Alabama (freshman upside)
Cooper Walls — Florida (placeholder role, needs to keep developing, in my opinion)
Wil Libbert — Ole Miss (struggles continue, could be out of the rotation at some point)
Injury Report
Ryan McPherson — Mississippi State (2–4 weeks)
Cooper Moore — LSU (triceps inflammation)
Cade Townsend — Ole Miss (shoulder, likely longer timeline)
Austin Nye — Vanderbilt (bicep tendonitis)
Closing Thoughts
We’re starting to see separation.
Not just who has the best stuff—but who can actually pitch, compete, and handle the SEC every weekend.
And as this continues to evolve, the next layer of this evaluation is coming:
Bullpens.
Because some of the best arms in this league aren’t starting games—they’re finishing them.
And that’s where this thing is headed next.